Keen's facts for kids
Keen's is a well-known brand that makes special powders for cooking, like mustard and curry. It's made by McCormick Foods Australia and McCormick Canada. You might recognize their products by their bright yellow and orange tins! Keen's has been around for a very long time and is a common sight in kitchens across Australia.
Keen's Mustard Powder is made from finely crushed mustard seeds. You can find it in small tins. Keen's Traditional Curry Powder is a mix of many spices. These include turmeric, coriander, salt, fenugreek, black pepper, chili powder, rice flour, allspice, and celery. It's also sold in tins. This curry powder is especially popular with Aboriginal Australians.
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The Story of Keen's Mustard
The history of Keen's Mustard goes back to the 1700s! The first mustard factory was opened in London by Keen & Sons in 1742. Imagine, in the 1890s, you could hear the famous song 'The Roast Beef of Old England' from the Royal Exchange all the way at Keen's factory!
Thomas Keen, who was born in Camberwell, London, in 1801, was part of this family. In 1862, Thomas Keen passed away. That same year, Keen & Sons joined with another company, Robinson & Belville. They became Keen Robinson & Company.
Later, in 1903, a famous mustard maker called J & J Colman bought Keen Robinson & Company. Colman's then merged with another company in 1938, becoming Reckitt & Colman.
Fun with Mustard
In the 1930s, the Keen's Mustard Club was created. Kids who joined got a special Mustard Club Badge. It was shaped like a mustard pot! They also received a booklet with "Inner Secrets of the Mustard Club."
In the 1940s, Keen's even promoted how useful mustard could be. They printed a recipe for a mustard footbath on the back of their tins! It was a simple mix to help tired feet.
Changing Hands
In 1995, a big food company called Unilever bought the food part of Reckitt & Colman. Outside of the UK, in places like Canada and Australia, Colman's still sells its mustard under the Keen's name.
Then, in 1998, McCormick Foods Australia bought Keen's Mustard. To celebrate, Keen's asked Australians to look for old Keen's items in their homes. People found old advertisements and even a mustard tin from 1904! In 2000, Keen's Mustard took these old items on a tour around Australia for everyone to see.
The Story of Keen's Curry
The story of Keen's Curry began in Australia. In 1841, Joseph Keen, who was Thomas Keen's son, sailed to Australia from Britain. He settled in Tasmania with his second wife, Annie. They had many children and started a bakery and general store. Here, Joseph began making and selling his own sauces and, most importantly, his own special blend of curry powder.
Joseph's curry powder quickly became famous. Within ten years, it was known all over the colony. He even won awards for his spice mix at big exhibitions in 1866 and 1879!
The Famous Keen's Curry Sign
After Joseph and Annie passed away, their daughter Louisa and her husband Horace Watson took over the curry-powder business in 1915. Horace was a very creative person. He made a huge advertising sign for Keen's Curry on the side of Mount Wellington, near Hobart. He used large white stones to spell out 'Keen's Curry' in letters 15 meters high! People were surprised, but Horace won the right to keep his giant sign.
Over the years, students sometimes played pranks on the sign. In 1926, they briefly changed it to 'Hell's Curse'. In 1962, they changed it again to promote a play. In 1994, it read 'No Cable Car' as a protest. But no matter what, the sign has always been fixed back to 'Keen's Curry'!
While it was well known in Tasmania, Keen's Curry Powder became famous across Australia in 1954. That's when the recipe and rights were sold to Reckitt & Colman Australia Ltd. This was more than a century after Joseph first arrived in Australia!
Reckitt & Colman Australia was already making Keen's Mustard. So, in 1998, McCormick Foods Australia Pty Ltd bought both the Keen's Mustard and Keen's Curry brands.
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